Centrifugal clutch



A. Low m-i's 1,745.681

1933- czuTaIFueAL cim'cu- 1119a Dec. 29, 1927 Inventor o I ARTHUR Imam pas v Attorny v the top portion broken away. In this view rel nted ees. 1930 UN TED STA res A ENT,- oFFicE ARTHUR Lowmms, or 'ronomo, omaaro, ceiuna GENTBIEUGAL CLUTCH Application filed December 29, 1927. Serial No. 248,342.

Theinvention relates to improvements in centrifugal clutches as described in the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form part of the 5 same.

The invention appertains primarily to centrifugal clutches of the class employed for the purpose of gradually applyingthe load 7 to a prime mover, such-as an induction motor,

' 1 as it is started. As is well known, it is imperative that some form of intermediary be used in conjunction with a motor of this na- -"ture in order to slowly apply the load and -thus avoid consequent detrimental results.

1 This clutch therefore has been Y designed chiefly with a view to producing a more efii cacious and serviceable devicefor the purpose aforementioned, although it is capable of general application in the transmission of 20 power where .it. is necessary'to relieve jar and strain incidental to the sudden picking up of aload'. v

' One salient feature of the present invention is that the frictionshoes interfit one with another so that they advance and recede in unison under centrifugal force, maintaining.

at all times the balance of-the clutch.

'-A further improvement resides in the utilization of the maximum potential area of contact for a given size of clutch and. in the maximum weight of shoes, which-results in transmission 0 high torque at comparatively low speeds.

I A still further advantage is presented by 4 constraining elements for precluding the metal'shoes .from coming in contact with the drum when the lining is excessivel wornxj I Referring to the accompanying1 rawings: rough the.

Figurelis a vertical section clutch, taken axiallyv of the lower half brokenawa this view the shoes are shown expan ed.

Figure 3 is asimilar section, but showing the shoes are illustrated as contracted or free.

Like numerals of reference indicate correspondinglgartsineach ofthe figuresthroughp t h Figure 2 is a section taken at rightangles tothe axis-and depicting the major portion I BEISSUED In the drawingathe reference numeral 10 denotes generally the driving member of the clutch and 11 the driven member hereinafter referred to as the drum.

The driving member is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 12 which extends as usual from the prime mover or other source of power transmission. The drum is mounted for independentrotation on the shaft and is ing member and the drum, and are free to moveradially outwardly under centrifugal action. Each shoe is a segment of a ring and is faced with a. lining, as at 17, for engagement with the interior polished surface 18 of the drum. The linings are preferably soaked inoil.

The radial faces19 of the segmental shoes interfitlby means of the provision of projections '20 inte a1 with one of these faces of each shoe; w ich projections are engaged with recesses supplied in the adjoining faces respectively of the adj acent-shoes. This constitutes an. interlocking structure thatassumes the configuration of a ring when contracted as shown m Fig. 3. ThlS ring,

however, expands freely undercentrifugal.

force and the component segments advance uniformly into engagement with the drum.

It ispreferable, but not essential to make the -pro ections and recesses with substan tiall rectan lar sides'21 and 21 perpendic artora '91 lines.

. Integral with or secured to the driving dogs 22,-there being one located at each juncture of the shoes near the eriphery thereof. Each dog is wedge-she ,Ithe 'apex of the wedge in each case pointing-towards the axis .of rotation. The shoes are cut away to allow for the dogs:

p The s ides er of theprojections are dismember is a number of circumposed driving I posed event of the lining Wearing excessively these sides will encounter the dogs before the periphery of the shoes rub against the drum, thus preventing scoring the latter.

What I claim is 1. A centrifugal -clutch comprising adriving member, a drum constituting a driven member, a complement of friction shoes carried by the driving member and having inter-V fitting means to enable them to advance and recede in unison, and driving dogs borne by the driving member but not physically connected to the shoes.

2. A. centrifugal clutch comprising a driving member, a drum constituting a driven member, a complement of friction shoes each of which is a segment of a ring'that'encircles the axis of rotation, the component segmental shoes functioning to preclude dis-' placement of each other, said shoes being designed to interfit to enable them to advance and recede in unison, and dogs borne by the driving member but not physically connected to the shoes.

3. In a centrifugal clutch, a driving member, a driven member, a complement of metallic friction shoes for engagement with the driven member, linings affixed to the shoes, interfitting elements borne by the shoes to enable them to advance and recede in-unison,

and dogs carried by the driving member for precluding independent rotation of the vshoes, said dogs also functioning to constrain the outward movement of the shoes to prevent them coming in contact with the driving member when the linings are worn excessively.

4. In a centrifugal clutch, a driving member, a driven member, a complement of metallic friction shoes for engagement with the driven member, linings afiixed to the shoes',

interfitting elements borne by the shoes to en- I able them' to advance and recede in unison, and dogs carried by the driving member for precludin independent rotation of the shoes, said dogs 'eing constructed and arranged to' cooperate with the interfitting elements for the purpose of preventing the shoes from contacting with the driving member when the linings are excessively worn. a

,5. In a centrifugal clutch, a driving memher, a driven member in drum form having an interior annular clutch surface, a comple-' ment of friction shoes loosely disposed for outward movement under centrifugal force, said shoes being segments of a ring, interfit-,-

' tin" ro'ections' and recesses rovided on the adj olning faces of the'shoes to enable them to advance and recede in unison, linings affixed to the shoes, and dogs located at the adjoining faces of the shoes'and arranged to engage the projections thereof at a slightly lesser distance than the thickness of the linings to prevent them from contacting with at a lesser distance from the dogs 22 the clutch surface of the drum when the said than the thickness of the lining so that in the linings are excessively worn.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, of December, 1927 the 23rd day ARTHUR LOWNDES. 

